If you’re looking for a new air conditioner you may be wondering, “What SEER should I get?”
Here’s what we recommend for Minneapolis-St. Paul homeowners:
Let’s go into more detail about both of those scenarios...
Want a more specific recommendation for your home? Give us a call and we’ll send one of our techs to your home to give you a free SEER evaluation.
Like we said, if you’re on a budget, go with an 14 to 16 SEER air conditioner.
Many online sources will tell you that higher SEER ACs save you money every month on lower energy bills, and that eventually those savings will pay for the higher install cost of the unit.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case in Minnesota.
Let’s look at example, comparing the minimum SEER (14) with a high-SEER unit (17 SEER):
So, high-SEER units typically cost at least $1,2025+ more than minimum/mid-SEER units.
Now, in most places in the US, homeowners will easily pay back that higher upfront cost due to the lower monthly energy bills a high-SEER unit provides.
But here’s the bad news: because our summer season is so short, the average Minnesota homeowner won’t use the AC enough to pay back that $1,025 cost difference.
In fact, if you were to choose a 17-SEER over a 14-SEER unit in Minnesota, you’d only save $105 in energy bills over the course of the AC’s lifetime (15 years).
Note: The savings above was calculated using this SEER Energy Savings Calculator. We selected “Minnesota” and used 11.48¢/kWh as the average residential electricity rate in Minneapolis.
The bottom line: Getting a 17-SEER unit in Minnesota isn’t necessarily a cost-effective choice.
That said, there’s still a big reason some MN homeowners still opt for a high-SEER unit: they provide better comfort.
Money isn’t everything. If maximum comfort is most important to you, then you should go with a higher SEER unit (17+).
Higher-SEER air conditioners have 2 components that help them provide better comfort:
Each of these components basically allows your air conditioner to adjust its cooling output according to how much cooling is actually needed, which leads to...
We can help! Just give us a call and we’ll answer your questions and help you schedule an appointment with one of our trusted techs.
Reasons homeowners in the Twin Cities area go with MSP include: